STANDLEY TREES AND SHRUBS OF MEXICO. 609 



2. Phyllanthus acidus (L.) Skeels, U. S. Dept. Agr. Bur. PI. Ind. Bull. 148: 



17. 1909. 



Averrhoa acida L. Sp. PI. 428. 1753. 



Cicca disticha L. Mant. PI. 1: 124. 1767. 



Phyllanthus distichus Muell. Arg. in DC. Prodr. 15': 413. 1866. 



Specimens seen from Tamaulipas, Guerrero, and Oaxaca, but perhaps only 

 cultivated in Mexico. Native of the East Indies but cultivated in most tropical 

 regions, and sometimes naturalized. 



Shrub or small tree ; leaves orbicular to oval-ovate, mostly 5 to 6 cm. long, 

 short-pointed, distichous upon slender branches, these resembling pinnate leaves ; 

 flowers pink, in lax panicles ; fruit large and succulent, pule green ; seed large, 

 lobate. " Clruela corteiia " (Oaxaca): " manzana estrella " (Tamaulipas); 

 " grosella " (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Cuba); " cerezo comun," " cerezo de la 

 tierra " (Porto Rico) ; "cerezo occidental" (Cuba). 



This plant is often cultivated in warm regions under the names " Otaheite 

 gooseberry," " West Indian gooseberry," " star gooseberry," and " jimbling." 

 The fruit is nearly 2 cm. in diameter, with firm, acid, and astringent flesh. 

 It is usally pickled or made into preserves. Tlie root and seeds are said to 

 have purgative and cathartic properties. The wood is described as rather 

 hard and fine-grained, with a specific gravity of 0.57. 



3. Phyllanthus nobilis (L. f.) Muell. Arg. in DC. Prodr. 15': 114. 1866. 

 Margaritarla noMlis L. f. Suppl. PI. 428. 1781. 



Cicca antillana Juss. Tent. Euphorb. 108. 1824. 



Yucatan. West Indies and Central America. 



Shrub or tree, 4 to 20 meters high ; leaves short-petiolate, lance-oblong or 

 elliptic-oblong, 5 to 12 cm. long, acute or acuminate, glabrous ; fruit about 

 6 mm. in diameter. " Amortiguado," " avispillo," " higuerillo," " higuillo," 

 " millo," " palo de millo," " yuquillo," " siete-cueros " (Porto Rico). 



4. Phyllanthus galeottianus Baill. Adansonia 1: 32. 1860-61. 

 Phyllanthus i)eninsularis T. S. Brandeg. Erythea 7: 8. 1899. 



Southern Baja California to Jalisco and Michoacfm ; type from Morelia, 

 Michoacan. 



Slender shrub, a meter high or less, or almost wholly herbaceous; leaves 

 nearly sessile, rounded-obovate, 1 to 5 cm. long; flowers clustered in the axils. 



5. Phyllanthus purpusii T. S. Brandeg. Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot. 6: 55. 1914. 

 Known only from the type locality, Cerro del Boqueron, Chiapas. 



Tree, 7 to 8 meters high, glabrous; leaves ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 2 to 

 3.5 cm. long, pale beneath. 



6. Phyllanthus oaxacanus T. S. Brandeg. Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot. 6: 185. 1915. 

 Known only from the type locality, San Geronimo, Oaxaca. 



Leaves short-petiolate, broadly ovate-oval, 4 to 5 cm. long, obtuse, glabrous. 



7. Phyllanthus tequilensis Robins. & Greenm. Proe. Amer. Acad. 29 : 392. 1894, 

 Known only from the type locality, Tequila, Jalisco. 



Leaves ovate-elliptic, 4.5 to 10 cm. long, rounded to acute at apex, pale 

 beneath ; capsule 3.5 cm. broad. 



8. Phyllanthus chiapensis Sprague, Kew Bull. 1909: 264. 1909. 

 Known only from the type locality, on dry hills, Cacate, Chiapas. 



Shrub, 2 meters high ; leaves 3.5 to 5 cm. long, 1.5 to 2.3 cm. wide, rounded at 

 apex, subcuneate at base ; flowers reddish ; capsule 3 cm. broad or larger. 

 Reported by Hemsley as P. laxiflorus Benth. 

 7808—23 7 



